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Brewers stick to plan by sitting Aramis vs. Wainwright

5/3/13: Brewers third baseman Aramis Ramirez discusses his return to the lineup after missing a month with a sprained left knee

By Adam McCalvy
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MLB.com |

MILWAUKEE -- Brewers manager Ron Roenicke chose the long view over the short when he stuck with the plan to rest third baseman Aramis Ramirez on Saturday.

Ramirez was 2-for-3 and played six innings in the field Friday, his first day back from a month-long stint on the disabled list with a sprained left knee. That knee is still not 100 percent, so Roenicke's plan -- set in conjunction with the team's medical staff -- was to rest Ramirez on Saturday, play him Sunday, rest him again Monday without missing a game (because the Brewers are off) and then play him back-to-back games Tuesday and Wednesday against the Rangers before another team off-day on Thursday.

So the Brewers' schedule dictated that Ramirez missed a good matchup. He is a robust 19-for-47 against Adam Wainwright, Saturday's Cardinals starter. None of the other Brewers who started Saturday entered the game owning a lifetime average better than .200 against Wainwright.

"We wanted to stay with the game plan," Roenicke said. "It's a long season and we need 'Ramie' for the whole year. So this is the best way to go."

Friday's return was a success, aside from the fact the Brewers lost to the Cardinals, 6-1. Ramirez said late Friday that, "I'm glad, personally, for the way my knee held up tonight. Hopefully it keeps getting better from now on."

Was he sore the day after?

"A little bit," Roenicke said, "but I think there's some soreness everywhere, just from not playing. He feels pretty good. I think for probably a week, I would expect him to be this way. Usually the first week of Spring Training, guys are sore. So I kind of expected that."

Adam McCalvy is a reporter for MLB.com. Read his blog, Brew Beat, and follow him on Twitter at @AdamMcCalvy. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.